Erdogan promises free tea and cake to salvage election gamble

Turkish voters go to the polls today in a knife-edge election that is one of the most important, and fiercely contested, in the history of the republic. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes that a win in presidential and parliamentary votes will cement his hold over the country, ushering in a new system of government that gives him sweeping executive powers. The newly galvanised opposition, however, hopes that it will take power away from Erdogan just as he sits on the brink of near-absolute rule.

It has become a battle, some say, for the future of Turkey’s democracy. The nearly 60m registered voters will be deciding whether Erdogan, 64, continues to dominate Turkish politics.

Analysts say the race is too close to call. Most expect Erdogan…

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